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Stephen HolderESPN
LAS VEGAS — Just weeks after the Colts appointed Sam Ehrlinger as the starting quarterback for the rest of the season, veteran Matt Ryan is back in the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Raiders, under interim coach Jeff Saturday. team’s first in the
The Colts moved to Ehrlinger ahead of the Week 8 game against the Washington Commanders after Ryan suffered a shoulder separation. At the time, manager Frank Reich, who was sacked on Monday and replaced on Saturday, said the move was permanent. Owner Jim Irsay played a big role in the decision, sources told ESPN.
However, Ryan returned to practice this week and seemed to have a change of heart on Saturday. The decision comes after Ehrlinger said at his first press conference on Saturday that he would remain the starting quarterback.
By Friday, however, Saturday began to recede.
Explaining what led to the decision to start Ehrlinger, Saturday said: So whatever we can do to win the match, that’s what we do. We’ve both had great weeks of practice. Sam is an energetic guy for a young man. Brings the pop of. Matt’s out there too., I was impressed. he was throwing it around. “
“It’s up to me to start at quarterback,” Saturday added when asked about perceptions of Irsay making the decision.
The Colts were 0-2 and the starter was Ehrlinger. In last week’s loss to the New England Patriots, the Colts’ offensive performance was historically poor, with him going 0-for-14 on third-down attempts and producing 121 total yards of offense. This is his lowest number since 1997.
